It's getting colder. How many still ride on a daily basis? How long do you think you will keep it up?

I still ride to work most days. I am hoping to not have to winterize the bike. I plan to at the very least start it once a week. Maybe ride it around the block from time to time.

-Justin

I know most of us has had a car or two that we were really in love with but it didn't work out. What mistakes did you make and if you had to do it all over again, would you start another project like it.

I know with my Prelude, my first mistake was buying it from an idiot. I wasn't truthful with my budgeting. I went 5k over budget. I bought all the "cool" mods without thinking about whether or not I needed it. And when I finally got everything running, I was too broke and pissed to enjoy it. If given the chance, I might do another 4th gen prelude cause I know it so well and the learning experience was tremendous.

I was just browsing one of the F1 forums and came across a thread about the newly founded Super Aguri F1 Honda team doing some large scale hiring. That reminded me of the ads I saw for aerospace engineers for Renault F1, and the various ads for car and bike racing I see from time to time.

Sooo, if you could work anywhere in the automotive world, where would you work and why? Do you think you could be happy the rest of your life doing that? So what are you doing not pursuing that career?

I have 2 rear 300zx TT (16" tall, 9" wide) wheels for sale. Not in exceptionally good shape, but the wheels function. Comes with Falken FK431 245/45/16 tires mounted on them (not too much life left in them) and comes with (2) Yokohama A540 225/50/16 tires, which have a decent amount of life left in them.

$200 for everything and I want it gone soon!

I just had to do it. Heres mine....


99-04 Saleen Mustangs. I love these cars...especially in red





1200HP Lambo Diablo TT



And of course....






Theres so many more, but I feel too dirty right now.

a few people have asked about my sony digital camera. its super tiny and takes some pretty good pics. for those that check slickdeals, its on sale today for $326 for those that are interested... ***cough chad***

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a buddy of mine is in the market for new wheels for his Mini Cooper. they use the popular 4x100 bolt pattern that the civic, integra and miata use (as well as a plethora of other cars) and i know some of you have wheels you'd love to get rid of. he's looking for 15" wheels and preferably tires with a good deal of tread on them. lets see some pics of what you've got and how much you want for them

Story: So I thought I would be living on campus next year and so I told all my friends to get together and I didnt have a problem with that...WELL GUESS WHAT KICKS ME IN THE ASS!!! Fucking stepmom decides she can help me with off-campus housing(after saying no forever and that she would only pay for food if I was on campus) so now I can, but everyone already has housing, so I finally found a friend so I need one more roommate. I am looking for a roommate to room with me in Squire Hill. Very cheap and the other roommate IS 22 EX-MILITARY And becoming a HARRISONBURG COP!!!! He is tight as SHIT tho! Basically means we can get away with a lot more than regular, plus he gets beer and liqour all the time for me and my friends and is boyfriend with one of my close friends.

PS- If you dont have a car down here I can give you rides to campus, thats always a bonus..
Let me know if you want any more information.

Welp the season is now over and Rossi has once again been crowned king of grand prix motorcycle racing. Since the word go it hasn't even really be close, with Rossi winning 11 out of 17 rounds. However, he was not able to equal Mick Doohan's record of 12 wins in a season (and they had less races back then to boot).

Here's the finishing order:

Rider's Championship
1. Valentino Rossi
2. Marco Melandri
3. Nicky Hayden
4. Colin Edwards
5. Max Biaggi
6. Loris Capirossi
7. Sete Gibernau
8. Alex Barros
9. Carlos Checa
10. Shinya Nakano

Manufacturer's Championship
1. Yamaha
2. Honda
3. Ducati
4. Kawasaki
5. Suzuki
6. Blata
7. Proton KR
8. Moriwaki

So we're left with some big winners and big losers.

WINNERS
Rossi
What can you say? After stuffing Sete in the season opener (a move nobody particularly approved of) Rossi never really looked back. This season many of his races consisted of Rossi either leading the whole race or skulking about in the lead group until the last few laps then effortlessly pulling away to victory.

The Yamaha M1 seems to be a significantly improved back this season, yet it only seems to have improved in the hands of Rossi.

Marco Melandri
In his first season on a satelitte Honda the young Italian rose up to take second place in the championship while taking two wins in the latter half of the season. It was extra special to see Melandri do so well after struggling on a satelitte Yamaha ever since he came to GP. Furthermore, his crew was able to claim their first victories since the death of Daijiro Katoh from Marco.

Now Marco is poised to be lead the Honda charge next season to dethrone Rossi.

Nicky Hayden
At the beginning of the season many people were beginning to question Nicky's right to be in Moto GP, much less on a factory Honda. Many said that he only got his seat because he is American, and that there were other deserving riders who should have been under Repsol colors.

During the first half of the season Nicky only did so, so; often times jumping out to a good start only to fall back at the end after having used up his tires with his high slip-angle style. But as the season went on he steadily improved and when Moto GP came back to America for the first time in 11 years, Nicky took the opportunity to win his first ever Moto GP race.

Since then he has been more consistently finished near the front and closed the season with 4 consecutive podiums and consolidated 3rd in the riders championship.

LOSERS
Sete Gibernau
Rossi's prophecy that "Sete will never win another race" last season certainly must have haunted him because after coming off a relatively successful 2004 season with 4 victories and taking second place, he recorded zero victories and finished in 7th place in 2005.

While some of Sete's woes were bad luck (2 mechanical failures) his poor results were largely because of him crashing out of the lead. Somehow Sete just didn't have it together mentally this year.

Next season Sete will ride for Ducati Marlboro in the hope that he can leave 2005 behind.

Max Biaggi
Max also had a tough season, finishing in 5th and not recording any victories while aboard the Repsol Honda. All season Max was complaining about front end chatter but ultimately many began to question his skills when Nicky started to have success with the very same bike.

Of course Max, being the whiny asshole that he is, publicly criticized Honda and blamed his poor results on the bike. Towards the end of the season he (in)famously claimed that there was a HRC conspiracy to sabotage his bike.

Naturally HRC doesn't take kindly to being bashed in public by its employees. Then there's the small question of Max's general rudeness, and the little pit lane incident where Max's uncle choked Melandri after an on track incident between the two of them (uncle was subsequently banned from the paddock).

For 2006 HRC has made it no secret that they don't want Max on any of their bikes. More on that later.

Colin Edwards
4th place in the championship is not bad by most measures. But for Colin Edwards it is a sore dissapointment. In 2004 he complained about being low in the HRC pecking order for bike updates and in 2005 he skipped for the factory Yamaha, thinking that he would then be able to contend for the championship.

Welp, in 2005 he finished only one spot higher in the championship with the factory Yamaha. Its a bitter pill to swallow, but Colin got exactly what he wanted and failed to deliver.

Still 4th place is not bad considering the company he's in. Colin still has his ride for 2006 and thus a chance to redeem himself.

Next post: Highlights